DEFENCE FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL (DCI) - Belgium | Practical Guide FOREWORD From the CPT’s experience during its more than 25 years of visits to detention places throughout Europe, we can say that children deprived of their liberty are often at higher risk than adults of becoming victims of ill-treatment. Regrettably, the CPT has all too often come across situations where minors are abused; from a “pedagogical” slap to being punched, kicked and struck with a truncheon by police officers or custodial staff. We have also found juveniles subjected to violence by other prisoners, especially in dormitory settings and juveniles placed in prison cells with adult inmates without any regard being made to their specific needs. In many cases, juveniles are treated by police as adults and legal safeguards appropriate for their age are not implemented in practice by law enforcement agencies. In the immigration detention setting, children may be subjected to harsh conditions with no access to education or sports activities and no guardian safeguarding their rights. In psychiatric institutions and social care homes, we have found children restrained to their beds for long periods or placed in seclusion. Such practices are totally unacceptable. The CPT has, through its visits, attempted to complement the standards set out in international instruments, notably the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the child and the 2008 European Rules for young offenders. In 1998, it set out a number of safeguards which should be offered to all juveniles deprived of their liberty under criminal legislation. These standards were updated and expanded upon in the CPT’s 2014 General Report, identifying the safeguards that should be in place and outlining the type of establishment in which they should be held, and the particular care with which they should be provided by well-trained and dedicated staff. 6